Calories Posted at Most Chain Restaurants

Did you realize that somewhere in the depths of the health care bill that was just signed was something that will impact if you order a Big Mac?

In the new health care bill there is a new requirement that all chain restaurants with over 20 stores have to post calories on the menu board. This has already been law in NYC and California, but according to this bill it will be law everywhere in the US. In addition, vending machines also have to label food items so that people can make informed choices as they are perusing the choices through the glass window.

When these laws first surfaced, the restaurants were opposed. After all, seeing that a scone has over 500 calories may influence someone's decision and often times not purchase high calorie treats. However, now that cities and states are requiring various forms of this law, the restaurants are in favor of a national standard for the required information.

We have seen packaged food with required food labels for years, so why not our restaurant food? It is estimated that half of the money we spend on food is spent on food outside of the home, so knowing how many calories are in these foods are helpful for people trying to prevent their waistline from expanding (or to lose a little).

Some people think this is just government being Big Brother, dictating now what we eat. They are not telling you that you can't have it--simply how many calories you are taking in if you choose to eat it.

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